The Solo Scale:

---

Every city has a tower or some other attempt to claim ‘highest point in the city’, right? It’s practically a go-to for most big cities, and Auckland is no different. The Sky Tower is reminiscent of plenty of other towers around the world (like Seattle’s Space Needle or Toronto’s CN Tower). It delivers a similar positive — seeing the city and its surroundings from above.

The Auckland Sky Tower offers views of the city, the harbour, the ocean beyond, and views stretching out into the surrounding area. If you go earlier in the morning (like I did), you’ll get the benefit of empty areas. When you arrive, you’ll purchase your ticket (if you haven’t already). Then, it’s up an escalator to arrive at your elevator to the top!

Now, we should address the pricy elephant in the room.

Admission to the Sky Tower for an adult runs about $47 NZD (as of July 2026). That’s not cheap. It could be money well-spent elsewhere, but I will say that the cost is on par with other “high vantage point” experiences like CN Tower or any of the towers in New York City. It’s going to come down to what you value the most.

If you do decide to go up, though, the view of Auckland truly is incredible.

The actual viewing platform isn’t that large. You can easily do the rounds in about fifteen minutes and take your pictures. There’s also a glass floor if you’re not scared of heights, and can marvel at the distance between you and the ground. In one direction, there’s downtown Auckland. The other will give you a view of the harbour and the Pacific Ocean beyond that. You can even see Rangitoto dappled in the distance. From the height you’re at, it’s also very clear to note the caldera.

If you’re looking for a more unique dining experience at the tower, there’s Orbit. This restaurant features 360-degree dining that will slowly rotate once an hour and give you a view of the city. True, it may end up on the higher price end for the experience of it all, but if you’re chasing down unique dining experiences, this might be the one for you!

Once you’re done, you’ll be well situated to walk down to the harbour and explore the rest of the city. You can even jump on the hop-on/hop-off bus tour at this point! While it’s a pretty basic tourist experience, it’s still a great view. Plus, going in the morning means you can have it all to yourself.

To get more information about hours, features, and to buy tickets, you can visit their website here.

---